The Russians lost much of their artillery; they had to reverse the
customary military practice of an army in retreat. If the retreating
army is well equipped with artillery and munitions, its guns cover the
retreat and are sacrificed to save the men. During their retreat the
Russians had often to sacrifice men in order to save their guns for a
coming greater battle at some more important strategic point. Many
prisoners fell to the Germanic armies; according to their own official
reports they took 30,000 in the fighting of May 2-4, 1915. What the
Austro-German side lost in that time was not made public.

CHAPTER XLII

AUSTRO-GERMAN RECONQUEST OF WESTERN GALICIA

By the time the retreating Russians had reached the Wisloka they had
to some extent recovered from the first shock of surprise, and were
better able to attempt a determined stand against the overwhelming
onrush of the Austro-Germanic troops. Ivanoff hurriedly sent
reenforcements for Dmitrieff and Ewarts which included the Caucasian
Corps of General Irmanoff from the Bzura front. The heavy German guns
belched forth with terrible effect, and the Russians could not reply
at the same weight or distance. Bayonets against artillery means
giving odds away, but the attempt was made. With a savage fury that
seems to belong only to Slavs and Mohammedans--fatalists--the Russians
hurled themselves against the powerful batteries and got to close
quarters with the enemy. For nearly twenty minutes a wild, surging sea
of clashing steel--bayonets, swords, lances and Circassian
daggers--wielded by fiery mountaineers and steady, cool,
well-disciplined Teutons, roared and flowed around the big guns, which
towered over the lashing waves like islands in a stormy ocean. A
railway collision would seem mild compared with the impact of 18,000
desperate armed men against a much greater number of equally desperate
and equally brave, highly-trained fighters. But machinery, numbers and
skillful tactics will overcome mere physical courage. The Russian
avalanche was thrown back with terrific slaughter; the Caucasian Corps
alone lost over 10,000 men, for which, it is estimated, they killed
and wounded quite as many. More remarkable still was the fact that
they captured a big battery and carried off 7,000 prisoners. For five
days the storm raged backward and forward across the river; during the
more violent bombardments the Russians left their trenches to be
battered out of shape an